Portrait

Culture, architecture, nature - the perfect city break!

On the one side you have Teutoburg Forest, and on the other the time-honoured bishop's seat. And ahead of you? An action-packed break! If you find thick woodland, impressive architecture and European history just fascinating, then you're going to love Osnabrück. Start by discovering relics from the Middle Ages and the Thirty Years' War. Then, explore the cosy side of the old town - where students from around the world meet up for a drink. Osnabrück Youth Hostel is the perfect starting point for all sorts of exciting activities: It is located next to an area of urban woodland, and we're just two kilometres from the city centre.

This is where the world and his brother come together!

The old bishop's seat of Osnabrück is as important as it always has been. This is where the Romans fought the Germanic peoples, and also where Europe finally agreed on the Peace of Westphalia. So this place has always been very important indeed! And today, this beautiful cathedral city has plenty for visitors - young and old - to discover and be amazed by:

the late Gothic Town Hall, where the Peace of Westphalia was sealed in 1648

St. Peter's Cathedral, with the diocesan museum and cathedral treasury as well as the market square with its magnificent Osnabrück townhouses and the Marienkirche ("St. Mary's Church")

the Felix Nussbaum House, built by Daniel Liebeskind and home to the world's largest collection of works by the Osnabrück-born artist

the Cultural History Museum, boasting excellent collections of works by Albrecht Dürer and Dutch paintings from the 16th-19th centuries

the Museum of Industrial Culture Osnabrück

Osnabrück Zoo, with animals from five continents and a labyrinth of tunnels full of wildlife, with themed sections: Takamanda, the African Steppe; Kajanaland, the Nordic world; the "Monkey Temple"; the underground zoo; and the play worlds

Everywhere you turn, the city's long and eventful past is right under your nose: in the little alleys of the old town with its towers and fortifications, in the "Bucksturm" with its exhibition on the persecution of witches, or in the baroque castle, which now houses the university. But there's also absolutely loads going on in the 'here and now': The planetarium will have you looking at the stars, and the "Museum am Schölerberg" - the "Schölerbeg" being the hill that is also home to our Youth Hostel - will let you in on a few subterranean secrets...

Visit the "Bocksturm" to learn about people's approach to law in the Middle Ages - and see torture instruments!

The Ledenhof, the city's most significant bourgeois construction

Get to grips with nature

Whether you stare at the stars in the planetarium, make wild friends with the zoo's residents, visit the museums or want to discover the vibrant old town - everything is so easy to get to! Osnabrück is the only major city in Germany situated in the heart of a nature park - the UNESCO TERRA.vita Geopark. From all around, its "green fingers" reach into the city - and up to the Youth Hostel's doorstep. There's so much to discover. Prepare to be amazed!

Activity programmes at Osnabrück Youth Hostel - Go on an adventure and have some fun!

Don your mountaineer's hat and explore three mountains in five days, go time travelling, dare to descend together into the underworld: For school trips we offer activity programmes that are guaranteed to arouse kids' sense of adventure. And their team spirit too! There are also plenty of activities on offer for family breaks, for kids and for young people: The climbing forest in the Nettetal, the summer toboggan run in Ibbenbüren, more than a hundred walking trails... or perhaps you'd rather a rollerblading tour? The choice is yours!